Military suicides up a bit in 2014; more seek help

The Associated Press

Published: July 22, 2014

WASHINGTON — Preliminary Pentagon data shows that suicides among active duty military increased a bit this year compared to the same period last year, but officials say that more service members are seeking help through hotlines and other aid programs.

Pentagon documents show there were 161 confirmed or suspected suicides as of July 14, compared to 154 during the same time frame in 2013. The uptick was among soldiers and Marines, while the Air Force and Navy suicides went down.

The documents were obtained by The Associated Press.

The Defense Department is also releasing final totals for 2013, showing that active duty suicides dropped by nearly 19 percent compared to 2012. Suicides among National Guard and Reserve members increased by about 8 percent.